Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-02-05

TOOK lnem ana Travelled as last rs pos
sible TO the city where her husband was
confined. They AT first refused her
permission ty see him. but at last her
prayers prevailed and she was allowed
to enter the prison, where her husband,
in convicts dress, was chained with a
horde Of robbers and murderers. She
{, put the children in their fathers arms;
then seating herself beside him, begged
him TO tell her all that had bcfallcn
him.
What can be done?" said his wife,
when Aksenov had finished. ''save to
supplicate the ear; he will never let
the innocent suffer FOR the guilty. |
have already addressed a petition to
him, though | have not yet been able to
send it. All, Ivan Dimitrievitch, il was
not in vain that | had THAI dream when
] saw you with snow white hair. Thou
art gray already with trouble! Ivan
my dear. is it the truth that thou hast
told mep"
Aksenov answered her with Il re-
proachful glance. then buried his face
in his hands.
A soldier appeared at the moment
and announced that the time was up
and she must 90. The bitterest drop to
Aksenov in this parting with his wife
was the knowledge that She had doubt
cd him and had even asked HIM if he
had killed the merchant.
''God alone knows the truth" said
he, Il must trust in Him and await
His mercy"
From that time on he ceased to think
Of sending away petitions; he closed
his heart to hope and prayed only to
God.
On the evidence against him Aksenoy
was condemned. first to the knout, and
afterwards to transportation and hard
labor, and with wounds scarcely healed
departed with Il gang of other conyicts
to Siberia.
AT the end of twenty-SiX years Of
exile, hardship and sorrow, Dimitriey-
itch Aksenoy had become an old man:
his hair was rs white as snow and his
long white beard fell almost to his
waist. All of his gaiety had disap-
peared; he rarely spoke and never
laughed, spending his time when not at
work in prayers to heaven.
In prison Akesnoy had learned to be
n shoemaker, and with the money
which he earned from an occasional
sale bought himself a Book o. Martyrs,
which he read whenever there was
light enough in the dungeon for himto
see: and on holidays and fetc DAYS at
tended the prison chapel and sung in
the choir. The keepers loved him for
his docility, and his comrades held him
in high esteem, calling him grand
father and a imam Of God" No one
wrote 20 him from his old home and
he did not know whether his wife and
children were living or dead. Thus the
time passed on.
One morning there was a stir of ex-
element in the prison; a batch of new
criminals had just been brought in. and
with them intelligence from the outer
woHld. The ~conyicts gatheIe ed about
the new arrivals, plying them with n
thousand and one questions: From
what city or village had they Gomez"
For what crime had they been san
tencedP" etc, etc. Akscnov also drew
neal and listened to what was said.
Among the prisoners was a man per
haps sixty years of age, tall, muscular
and robust. The reason why | am
here said he, sis simple enough. |
was embarrassing a horse from a sleigh
and they took me for a thief. | told
them | only wanted to 60 faster, but
all the same ! am here. Truly, | ann q
great criminal and should have been
here before, only, YOU : t, the police
didn't know it,"
"And you are from vhere?'
"Vladimir; | am u shopkecper of
that city. Ny name is Makar, and
that of my father Semionovitch."
Aksenov lifted bis head. Odd YOU
ever hear them speak OF the merchants
Aksenov?' said he. "Arc any of them
liying?'
"Of course" said Malar; .'thcy are
rich merchants now, although their
father was sent to Siberia
Asken0y did not like 10 speak OF his
m~i,fortunes. 50 he only sighed and
held his tongue. His comrades were
not so rcticent, however, and soon had
given the newcomer the details Of his
sad history. He was very much inter
ested and looked at Aksenoy with an
misunderstanding like uneasiness.
He refused to answer any more qucs-
tons and tried to turn the subject.
But Akscnov would not let him:
something in the manner of the man
had aroused his suspicious, and he
pressed him closely.
"Did YOU ever hear them speak of
my affair, Semionovitch?" said he;
land do you remember anything
about it?'
NO" he responded; 1.-The earth is
full of ears, and | heard of it, of
course but it's SO long since it hap
pened that have forgotten what was
said"
but do they know who killed the
merchant" Aksenov continued
The one in whose bag the knife
was found, of course. How could IL
be otherwise? Why, Dimitrievitch.
the bag was under your mead and
you'd have heard him"